Fights

Eastern Michigan University quarterback Mike Glass III accidentally socked a referee -- sending him crashing to the floor -- before being thrown out of the football game.

EMU and Univ. of Pittsburgh were playing in the Quick Lane Bowl Thursday night in Detroit when a scuffle broke out late in the 4th quarter. Glass smacked Pitt LB Cam Bright in the face mask … before unloading a strike intended for another Pitt player that hit a ref in the face.

The referee immediately went down … while the other officials attempted to restore order.

Glass -- who was 28-50 for 311 yards and 2 TDs and an interception -- was hit with 2 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and ejected from the game.

Glass' Michigan squad lost the game to Pittsburgh, 34-30 … ending their season.

After the game, EMU head coach Chris Creighton told reporters Glass was "in tears in the locker room" ... devastated by what unfolded on the field.

"I love him 100 percent. And thank God he is highly competitive, but absolutely zero excuse for what happened, and [Mike] knows it," the coach said.

Glass, EMU's senior captain, took to Twitter to apologize for his actions … saying, “I let God and my family down!”

As for the official -- who appears to be okay -- the incident sparked a heated internet discussion … did the ref flop or was he KO'd??

Chris Johnson is breathing easier today ... TMZ Sports has learned the ex-NFL superstar only got a slap on the wrist after he was accused of choking a valet last year.

Back in April 2018, the former Tennessee Titans RB allegedly roughed up a nightclub valet in Hillsborough County, Florida.

According to court docs, Johnson is accused of placing a man in a chokehold and punching him the face.

In video of the altercation obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see the two interact ... but it's unclear if an attack ever took place.

In a separate video posted by the alleged victim, you can see the guy was rattled from the incident ... bleeding from his nose and saying he thought he was going to die.

Johnson was eventually hit with misdemeanor battery over the altercation ... but the 34-year-old fought the charge in court for months, and finally, earlier this month, he cut a deal with prosecutors to close out the case.

We're told Johnson agreed to enter into a pre-trial diversion program to eventually have the charge dropped.

Details of Johnson's exact program are unclear ... but we're told by officials that generally, defendants in misdemeanor intervention programs in Hillsborough County, Florida are required to pay some fines and restitution and complete community service.

You can take David Arquette out of the wrestling ring ... but you can't take the wrestler outta David Arquette ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he's BACK for another brawl!!!

It's no secret the actor loves to get his ass beat ... remember when he got in a nasty, bloody beatdown back in 2018?? He went on to continue to get his ass beat repeatedly in 2019.

But, DA ain't afraid to get back to business ... telling us he's got an epic "bar wrestling" fight going down on New Year's Eve to end his year on a high note!!

"I'm ready for some 2020," Arquette says. "I'm sick of this 2019. 2019 was bad. I almost died twice in 2019."

Like we said ... dude REALLY gets his ass kicked.

But, this time around he says he's facing off against Joey Ryan and Colt Cabana ... and his tag team partner is RJ City. So ... maybe this time he'll deliver the beating??

It's the season of giving ... which means boxing superstar Errol Spence got himself an AMAZING Cartier watch for the holidays ... and it's got a $100k price tag!!

TMZ Sports has learned, the champ wanted to treat himself at the end of the year ... so he hit up his go-to guy, Iceman Nick, to make him a one-of-a-kind diamond Cartier watch!!

We're told it's a one-of-one 2-tone Santos de Cartier Skeleton watch ... which is decked out with 30 carats of VVS diamonds, 18k rose gold screws and bezel, 7-sided crown set with a faceted sapphire, blue-steel sword-shaped hands and a sapphire crystal case back.

Yeah, fancy stuff.

And, after surviving a near-fatal Ferrari crash in October -- we totally get why the boxer would want to spend a little money on himself!

Of course, Iceman Nick is also the guy behind Errol's sick, $400k "Man Down" chain ... so you know the dude loves what he sees.

Blueface jumped into a brawl that involved his own crew beating on a guy who allegedly tried snatching the rapper's bling ... which is a shame because he was dressed to impress.

The rapper popped up Friday night with his entourage at the Blue Moon Hookah Lounge in Downtown L.A., where he even got on stage at one point and performed for a bit. Blueface was rocking what appears to be a Burberry puffer coat, which retails at $1,390.

Bottom line ... it doesn't look like Blueface was looking for trouble. Unfortunately, it seemed to find him nonetheless.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ ... word around the lounge was that some dude tried stealing Blueface's chain right off of him -- something we know people attempt to do when rappers make public appearances like this. That said, it's unclear what exactly sparked this beatdown.

Either way, the guy certainly pissed someone off and got his ass handed to him as a result. We're told security eventually broke it up, and Blueface and co. left shortly thereafter. Similar to the time he jumped into the mix of another brawl up in Santa Cruz.

Tyron Woodley says he was "disgusted'" with the Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington fight ... admitting, "I wanted to throw up [over] the fact I lost to Usman."

"F**k both of them."

The former UFC welterweight champ spells it all out on this week's 'Hollywood Beatdown' -- saying both guys looked weak during their UFC 245 title fight ... and neither man fought smart.

"As far as IQ, moving your fucking head maybe!? ... I didn't see a lot of that."

Woodley also says when it comes to power -- neither guy showed anything special, despite the fact Kamaru broke Colby's jaw in the 2nd round.

"If I would have punched Colby, he may be on life support right now."

Of course, Usman is the guy who beat Tyron to take his welterweight belt back in March. Tyron hasn't been back in the Octagon since ... but says he's looking for a big-money fight, even if it's in the boxing ring.

Woodley says he's getting his boxing license in California and Nevada and is seriously hoping to land a fight with Canelo Alvarez.

There's a lot more in this episode ... from Tyron's thoughts on Conor McGregor vs. Cowboy Cerrone to his upcoming plans with the FaZe Clan and why he's got a ton of respect for Jorge Masvidal.

Chuck Liddell just got REAL fired up over that Serena Williams boxing video!!!

Not only does Chuck think Serena's a freak athlete with crazy potential (obviously), he thinks if she continues to train with Mike Tyson ... she could MURDER PEOPLE!!!

"Mike's a BAAAD man! Trust me! If she wants to fight and Mike teaches her? She'll be a BAAAD woman!"

Liddell notes that Serena has a long way to go -- "She looks like a girl who just learned how to punch" -- but if anyone has the ability to train up quick, it's her.

As for Mike, he's been working with a bunch of top athletes lately, giving pro tips to UFC stars like Francis Ngannou.

Tyson had previously said he intentionally stayed away from all things fighting because he doesn't want to turn into the animal he used to be back in his heyday ... but it seems obvious he's got a knack for coaching.

This was no Mayweather vs. McGregor ...

UFC superstar Derrick Lewis told a boxer to PUT UP OR SHUT UP during an argument about MMA vs. boxing ... and the results did not go well for DL's opponent.

The 34-year-old heavyweight says he was working out in the gym on Wednesday, when the other man said, "He will knock me out because I’m a MMA fighter."

Lewis, not one for boring debates, told the guy to strap on the gloves and get in the ring ... and the rest -- well, just watch.

Lewis beats the guy up so badly, he almost punched him THROUGH THE ROPES!

Of course, Lewis -- aka "The Black Beast" -- is known as one of the toughest dudes in all of combat sports ... beating guys like Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkov, Travis Browne and Roy Nelson.

NBA YoungBoy scored one sweet plea deal in his assault and kidnapping case ... the most serious charges have been dropped.

The rapper pled guilty to misdemeanor simple battery family violence. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the charges of kidnapping and aggravated assault ... this according to the Ware County District Attorney's Office in Georgia.

YB will avoid jail time. He's been sentenced to 12 months probation, fined $1,500, must attend anger management classes and have no violent contact with the victim ... his GF.

Here's UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem showing off his new surgically-repaired lip ... after his face was blasted open in a TKO loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Overeem's face was a bloody mess after the UFC on ESPN 7 event on Dec. 7th ... when Rozenstruik hit Alistair with a crushing right hook in the 5th round that ended the fight with only 4 seconds left.

Overeem was hospitalized after the fight and underwent a surgical procedure to stitch him up ... and ESPN's cameras captured the 39-year-old as he was healing up.

"It was a nice fight," Overeem said ... "It was a good scrap."

"I was winning all rounds, just doing my thing. Too fast of a stoppage if you ask me. I was not out. I was knocked down, getting right back up."

Overeem is the #8 ranked heavyweight in the UFC at the moment -- and seems eager to get back in the Octagon and fight again ... just as soon as he gets cleared.

Tough dude.

Terrelle Pryor is showing off more of the aftermath of his stabbing incident with his girlfriend ... and the NFLer needed 30 staples to close his massive stab wound.

Pryor has been on the recovery since the Nov. 30 altercation with Shalaya Briston at their Pittsburgh-area apartment. Officials believe Briston stabbed Pryor during a physical struggle that spilled into their kitchen.

Pryor was so badly wounded, he bled all over the apartment and all over the parking garage before eventually undergoing emergency surgery in the hospital.

Pryor says he almost died twice in the wake of the stabbing but miraculously pulled through. He was hospitalized in the ICU for several days before being discharged.

The good news -- he's been up and walking and getting better each day ... and the wound doesn't look that bad either (props to the surgeons).

As for Briston ... she's facing 2 felony criminal charges -- aggravated assault and attempted homicide -- and serious prison times if convicted. She was granted release on house arrest earlier this week.

Seems Anthony Joshua is already regretting his public offer to spar Tyson Fury -- admitting, "When I look back at some of the s**t I say, I think, 'Why did I say that?'"

Joshua had appeared on Sky Sports and said he'd be down to help Fury prepare for his upcoming rematch with Deontay Wilder ... even offering to be his sparring partner in camp.

So, why?

AJ says he thinks if Fury wins the rematch, "He'd be more inclined to fight me next and quicker" than Wilder.

The funny thing ... Fury actually ACCEPTED Joshua's offer and wants to train with the guy.

When Joshua was asked about the awkward situation (sparring his next likely opponent), the heavyweight champ says he WILL follow through on his offer.

"Sparring Fury is only going to do me good, in my opinion. So, I'm never too big for my boots where I can't learn anymore," Joshua said to iFL TV.

"Fury is a world-class fighter and I'm a world-class fighter that is still trying to improve so I can become like an elite-level fighter when I'm fighting."

"So, that opportunity, for me to spar Fury, is for my own benefit as well."

Here's UFC star Mackenzie Dern showing her holiday spirit ... rocking a tiny bikini in Brazil, where it's 80 degrees and sunny in the middle of December!

The 26-year-old jiu-jitsu champion is coming off an impressive fight against Amanda Ribas -- who she fought in October, just 4 months after Dern gave birth to her daughter, Moa.

Dern lost the scrap, but the fact she was able to get back into fighting shape in just 124 days -- and fought Ribas all the way to a decision after three 5-minute rounds is pretty damn amazing!

Now, Dern is back home in Brazil where she's getting in some quality beach time with her family -- including longtime boyfriend Wesley Santos, a pro surfer.

No word on when Dern will return to the Octagon and fight again -- but she's been back in the gym and we're told she's planning on taking a fight in early 2020.

What did Lil Yachty's 5 fingers say to the face of a man who allegedly trash-talked the rapper? Well, it wasn't friendly, and it was all captured in this violent video clip.

The incident went down Sunday night after Yachty had performed for the Rolling Loud Fest at the L.A. Coliseum. Yachty and his crew were exiting the venue, and in this video you hear someone on his team trying to talk some sense in an unknown man.

The talk didn't last long, and you can see Yachty lost his patience and threw the first blow ... a straight left to the guy's head -- and an all-out brawl ensued.

Yachty and co. chased down the guy, then punched and kicked him while he was on the ground. He tried to cover his head as Yachty unleashed some brutal kicks.

When team Yachty finally let up, the guy got up and ran away. Security approached, but the dust had already settled by then. We're told, not long after the guy ran outta there, Yachty and his crew hopped in a shuttle van and left.

We're told cops were not called to the area. We've reached out to Yachty, but so far ... no word back.

THIS IS INSANE!!!

The heavyweight boxing champ of South Africa was injured when the ring ropes SNAPPED during his warm-up and he fell out of the ring ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

Ruann Visser (18-2) -- 6'10", 287 lbs. -- was testing out the ropes before his main event title fight in Cape Town on Monday against undefeated Tian Fick (8-0) ... when something went horribly wrong.

The top rope appeared to snap and 29-year-old Visser went flying backward out of the ring, crashing headfirst on the hard ground.

Visser reportedly suffered injuries in the fall -- and while details on his condition are unclear, doctors on the scene determined he was too hurt to fight and called off the bout.

It's a big bummer for the South African boxing community ... the tilt between Visser and Fick was reportedly set to be the first heavyweight title fight in Cape Town since 2000.

"I believe this fight is not going to go the distance, the person who has the bigger will is going to win this fight," promoter Jack Brice told IOL leading up to the fight.

"It’s good for Cape Town, it’s good for South Africa, and it’s good for boxing."

Unclear if or when the two will reschedule the match ... we're still waiting on word for just how injured Visser was in the fall.

Nipsey Hussle's former bodyguard went after The Game's manager during the rapper's set Sunday night ... apparently over some disrespectful comments made about Hussle.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Nip's bodyguard and close friend, J Roc, attacked Wack 100 backstage at the Rolling Loud Festival while The Game was performing.

We're told J Roc punched Wack several times in the face, then took off. Video of the aftermath shows an angry Wack having to be restrained from going after J Roc by venue security.

Wack's already responded to the incident by posting a video showing closeups of his face -- without any visible injuries -- and saying ... "Whooping Wacks ass takes more than words it takes a action !"

He adds ... "Next time you send a motherf***er, don't send one who knows how to run, send one who knows how to fight."

As for why there's bad blood between the late rapper's camp and The Game's ... it seemingly stems from Wack 100's recent comments about how Nipsey Hussle's not a legend. Wack told us it's nothing personal -- it's just about numbers ... and he doesn't think Hussle's stack up.